A spotlight on Charlie Pitcher, from Live Escape Salisbury

Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Live Escape Salisbury

I’m a product designer and escape room owner, which I run with my wife Claire in Salisbury city centre. I had worked as a product designer since graduating university and after many years of working for someone else, I thought it was time to do something for myself. We opened Live Escape Salisbury on May Bank Holiday this year. Running an escape room is the perfect business for me to own as I can design, create and build all of the puzzles myself. We can safely say that there are many puzzles within ‘Spectre’ that you will have never experienced before. We have tried to create a truly unique, immersive experience and so far our reviews have been five star. 

What do you like best about your role there?

I love seeing the visitors to our game enjoying themselves. The great thing about escape rooms is that they can be played by anyone and everyone – friends, family, work colleagues – we’ve had a great mix so far. Building the puzzles and interweaving the storyline to Spectre was such good fun… it really doesn’t feel like a job!

Where are your favourite places to visit in Wiltshire and why?

There are so many. Whenever we have friends or family to visit, we always take them to the Cathedral and they are always blown away by its beauty and stunning setting in The Close. Out of the city – as a product designer – I love visiting places like Crofton Beam Engines. Seeing how it all works is fascinating. You can easily spend an entire day there. And, of course, we will always play other escape games. Did you know there is one in the north of the county? 11th Hour Escape Rooms? We visit games and owners across the country as much as we can.

Do you have any hidden Wiltshire gems that you'd like to share with our readers?

Well, it’s far from hidden really. But a real surprise great day out was a visit to Caen Hill Locks near Devizes. The 29 locks along the Kennet and Avon Canal are a sight to behold – and with an ice cream from the tea shop there it’s even better.

Where's your favourite Wiltshire picnic spot?

If it’s not too windy, then a trip out to the White Horse at Westbury is always lovely. You can sit and watch life go by and if you’re lucky the paragliders will be there, which is always exciting to see.

Where are your favourite places to eat out in Wiltshire and why?

It must be said that The Red Lion in Pewsey is outstanding. They not only serve good food, but the setting is lovely. They have a great beer garden for the summer and cosy nooks for the winter. We also had a fantastic Italian meal at Grillado, in the centre of Salisbury… authentic Italian food, there’s nothing better in my opinion!